138 THE FAUNA OF THE DEEP SEA 



* Investigator,' affords us an example of a common 

 bathybial character, the whole body being covered with 

 an extraordinary array of sharp needle-like spines. 



Among the crabs many curious forms have been 

 found in deep water extending down to depths of 

 over 2,500 fathoms. They are nearly all characterised 

 by blindness and a remarkable development of tooth- 

 like spines covering the carapace and limbs. 



The remarkable Lithodes ferox, from a depth of 

 from 450 to 800 fathoms, is perhaps the most perfectly 

 armed crab — in the way of spines — that exists. 

 Every part of the body and limbs is so covered with 

 spines that one has to be extremely careful in handling 

 even a dead specimen. 



This is only one of the many examples that 

 might be given to illustrate this curious feature oi 

 the deep-sea Crustacea. Among the crabs alone we 

 have such forms as Galathodes Antonii^ Pachygaster 

 formosus, Bicranodromia mahyeuxii covered with a 

 fierce armature of spines or bristles; but there are 

 nevertheless some species in which this character is 

 not particularly noticeable, and in these we usually 

 find some other protection against their enemies. 

 An interesting example of this has been described 

 by A. Agassiz in a crab allied to the MaiadaB, 



